Appointment of bishop of Kabinda, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Holy Father has appointed as bishop of the diocese of Kabinda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Reverend Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, C.I.C.M., currently general counsellor of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, C.I.C.M. (Scheut Missionaries).

Reverend Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, C.I.C.M.

The Reverend Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, C.I.C.M., was born on 8 September in Kabinda, in the province of Lomami. In 1988 he obtained a state diploma in biology and chemistry. He entered the noviciate of the Scheut Fathers in Mbudi (1989-1990). He carried out his studies in philosophy in the Saint Pierre Canisius Seminary of Kinshasa (1990-1993). He served a missionary and pastoral apprenticeship in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mongolia (1993-1996), and gave his religious vows in 1996. He studied theology in the Philippines and in Cameroon (1996-2001).

He was ordained a priest on 12 August 2001 in Kabinda.

Since priestly ordination he has held the following offices: vicar and then parish priest Saint Eugène of Menkao, Kinshasa (2001-2003); provincial secretary and rector of the Scheutist Missionaries in Kinshasa (2003-2006); director of the Centre for Educational Research in Kinshasa, secretary of the Provincial Commission for Finance of the Scheutist Fathers (2003-2007); bachelor’s degree in civil law from the Notre Dame de la Paix University in Namur (2007-2009); master’s degrees in civil law from the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve and in human rights in the Faculty of Law of the Université Saint-Louis in Brussels (2009-2011); C.I.C.M. provincial counsellor in Kinshasa  (2013-2016); African delegate for the preparations for the General Chapter and Kinshasa delegate of the same Chapter (2016-2017); and since 2017, general counsellor of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, C.I.C.M.